Review: The Best Possible Answer

The Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Viviana is under an immense amount of stress. It's the end of junior year and her future is in the balance. The goal was always to get perfect grades, rock her exams and attend Stanford. Then a distraction, and by distraction I mean boy, sets her off balance. They break up and he does something that sends her world spinning off its axis. Vivi starts having panic attacks and feels that she's not doing anything right in her life. To make it worse, her dad goes on a business trip to Singapore and doesn't come back. She puts every blame and burden on her overworked shoulders.

The characters in the book are very believable and relatable, even if you haven't experienced the same life events that they have. You can feel the friendship between Sammie and Vivi, with all of its ups and down. How much they love each other and do their best to protect one another.

The novel is about believing in yourself, learning to trust and rely on others even when you think you can do it all by yourself, and doing your best. Vivi must learn about herself and realizes that not everything in her life is as it seems.

Highly recommended to teens and young adults who enjoy contemporary ya fiction books about life, loves and high school. (With maybe a little family drama thrown into the mix.) Great, quick, enjoyable read!

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Review: The Thousandth Floor

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Take Gossip Girl's colourful cast of characters put them in 2118, our more technologically advanced future, and you'll get the Thousandth Floor. It's an immediate delight and allows you to get into each character's head with switching point of view.

The world building is immersive because the technology is fascinating yet believable. Those familiar with New York City will see familiar sites reimagined like Central Park. Most of NYC's residents have made the Tower their home - a thousand floor marvel of engineering that soars miles above the ground. The author does a wonderful job describing the Tower to you as it's built steel girder by glass window by draping fabric in your mind.

The characters are your typical rich and spoiled teens, but they also all have their problems. Their perfect veneers hide broken insides and insecurities, which make them more relatable. The relationships and interactions between the characters feel authentic. Unfortunately, I didn't relate strongly to any of the characters but I'm sure others will. So I don't consider that a big negative towards the book.

The story opens with a bang and the mystery is not resolved until the end of the book, leaving you guessing throughout. Who fell? Was it an accident or malicious? You should definitely read this wonderful book if you want to find out - or if you enjoy engaging, quick reads about rich high schoolers, people working through their problems, really intriguing future technology or books similar to Gossip Girl/Pretty Little Liars.

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Review: Firsts

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Firsts is a novel about high school, friendships and growing up. Mercy hears a guy lament about making his first time with the girl he loves perfect. But all of the pressure is completely freaking him out, so Mercy steps in. She offers to essentially coach him through his first time, so when he's with his girlfriend it is perfect. (Like she expects.) His words, actions, and the ambiance will be all that she dreamed. Her "good deed" goes from five guys to ten, then continues to spiral until her life is out of her control, When her secret gets out, Mercy must find a way to walk the halls despite the cruel names (and food) flung at her. She learns who her friends are, even if she had taken them for granted in the past - learn and grow from her mistakes. This is an entertaining book with likable (and detestable) realistic characters and you might just learn a thing or two about life - or chemistry, from it.

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Review: Crosstalk

Crosstalk by Connie Willis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book started off a little slow and I wasn't quite sure if I was going to enjoy it. You're thrown right into a world that leaves you slightly confused. Is this modern day or are we in a more technologically advanced future? The world we step into is modern, with a few alterations like an "EED". They're a focal-point of this novel, so it would have been nice to have some backstory there since they're not something we're familiar with. Once you get over that hurdle, the book becomes much more enjoyable. I was surprised after the rocky beginning that I found myself engrossed in the book and spent more than one night reading significantly past my normal bedtime. The ending felt a little rushed and could have been done better. Ultimately the concept was fascinating and I would definitely read a sequel.

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Review: The Hidden Oracle

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fantastic book by RR. We are introduced to our new main character in perfect fashion. "Just another meat sack." Quaint Apollo, or should I call you Lester Papadopoulos? That is an amazing name and starts the book brilliantly.

Apollo is written just as well as RR's other characters. The sun God is forced into a powerless mortal body and dumped unceremoniously onto the island of Manhattan. Into a pile of trash. He must undertake a series of trials and get the Oracles back under his control or else he will remain mortal... and Lester. Accompanied by a feisty, sword-wielding street urchin and a bitey peach spirit, Apollo fights for the future. Camp Half-Blood is sparsely populated, campers are disappearing and all forms of communication are on the fritz.

The world building is just as beautifully done as the other Olympians novels. The reader is introduced to myths creatures and gods. Recommended that you read the two previous series before Trials of Apollo. There are characters (like our beloved Percy) and gods/monsters that you either meet or are mentioned in passing and it would be beneficial to at least be familiar with them.

The character development is also well-done. Apollo is his usual self-absorbed self but he also experiences some brilliant moments of humanity. You root for his success and roll your eyes at him simultaneously. Margaret, Meg for short, is his sidekick and occasional friend. Apollo doesn't like to admit that he is actually fond of the little urchin. She immediately reminded me of Megara from Disney's Hercules, sassy, cynical, questioning. The entire time that I was reading I kept expecting her to betray Apollo to the "Big Bad" but have grown fond of Apollo as well and regret her betrayal.

In case you are unfamiliar with some of the terms or gods, RR has a handy glossary at the conclusion of the book. Highly recommended, as are all of RR's novels. Great for YA reader that enjoy witty writers, well-developed characters, mythology, adventures and just general awesomeness.

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Review: Razor's Edge

Razor's Edge by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Razor's Edge is one of the books in a trilogy about our favourite characters. It focuses on Princess Leia Organa. This book takes place after the battle of Yavin, but before the next movie in the series. Leia is on a resistance mission with Han when they're attacked and must flee. There are only little cameos from Luke R2, Chewie and C3PO. I do wish we had seen more from Luke, because the books with Jedis (from my experience reading Star Wars books thus far) are more interesting. I understand why they wouldn't feature him, as the book is about Leia but Han was heavily included.

It was nice to get small glimpses into Leia's character and it made her more human. She's tough and willing to do what needs to be dome. Most people underestimate her because she's a princess, much to their realized dismay.

The author assumes you are well-versed in the Star Wars universe. A casual fan will have no trouble following the story, but may not be able to imagine everything. Non-human beings are named but not always vividly described. Sometimes systems or locales are mentioned without further detail. For the benefit of a more casual reader and world building, it would have been nice if more details were provided.

Overall the story was enjoyable and a fitting addition to the universe, even if it isn't canon anymore. Recommended to any Star Wars fans as well as those that enjoy science fiction or adventure. Suggested that you rewatch the originals, at least 4 and 5 before reading this book.

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Review: Smash & Grab

Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Smash & Grab isn't a unique premise - "Uptown girl - She's been living in her uptown world". It's a theme that runs through many books. Clearly, Lexi is bored, rich and looking or an adrenaline rush. The moment the book switched to the perspective of the poor, smart "backstreet guy" or "downtown man" - you knew that there was going to be a romance or chemistry between the two. Despite the unsurprising connection between the two main characters, the book was quite enjoyable.

Lexi was not a vapid, rich girl but had a depth to her character. She goes through trials and doesn't just say, "oh woe is me" but actively attempts to remedy things. Yes, her dad might be guilty but he is not alone in his guilt nor was he the mastermind of the scheme. Lexi suspects her father's boss and is determined to do whatever she can to prove his guilt. This plan leads her to cross paths a number of times with a mysterious boy, our other narrator.

Christian is a bank robber. He and his crew, his cousin and a few other neighborhood guys, do jobs for the local Mexican gang. But if Christian had his way, he wouldn't be involved in any of that. He's smart, he loves to read and he wants to go to college. But his family was threatened and that's more important to him. That's how he gets forced into a job that will target the very bank that Lexi is attempting to infiltrate. The one her father used to work at. The one she conned her way into getting an internship at.

The two don't trust each other but know that in order to succeed they must work together. This is certainly a fun, easy summer read. Do not expect a literary classic, but it's definitely enjoyable. The story has good pacing overall, although the end was a little rushed. I recommend checking out this fun, enjoyable read - especially if you want to find out what happens.

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